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EggStravaganza now boasts largest Easter Egg Hunt in the State!

When the organizers of the new Decatur Parks & Recreation EggStravaganza began planning, little did they know the event would potentially break records for the State of Alabama’s Largest Easter Egg Hunt.

Event planners Kellie Sims and Julianne Lowman have partnered with several sponsors to ensure all kids who attend are kept busy with free activities, and receive a plethora of goodies – but little did they know Epic Church of Decatur was also planning an event of their own – and on the same day.  When Sims invited Epic to participate in the EggStravaganza, they not only wanted to be involved, they moved their event from Point Mallard Park to Ingalls Pavilion to join forces.  Epic Church is contributing 40,000 filled, plastic eggs to add to the 5,000 eggs already donated by the Decatur/ Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Those 5,000 will be dropped from atop Decatur Fire Department’s extended ladder truck – totaling 45,000 eggs for kids to retrieve.  In addition, Epic Church is also donating 200 razor-type scooters to join the other prizes to be won on at the free event on March 23, at Ingalls Pavilion from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Movie filmed at Space Center wins national award

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center® received news this week that one of the movies filmed on our location won top honors at the 21st Annual Movieguide Awards Gala in Los Angeles. The film, “A Smile as Big as the Moon,” was filmed, in part, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in the Fall of 2011.  The movie aired on ABC Television and then the Hallmark Channel to more than 13 million viewers.  The movie won in the FAITH AND FREEDOM—TELEVISION category.   The movie beat out well-known shows such as Criminal Minds, Extreme Makeover and others.

“For more than 30 years, Space Camp has changed lives.  This movie is a wonderful example of how children can be challenged and then rise to that challenge.  We salute Mike Kersjes, Hallmark Hall of Fame and especially the children who came to Space Camp so many years ago to show the world it could be done,” stated Dr. Deborah Barnhart, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

Many scenes were filmed in the actual location where the first special needs students enjoyed Space Camp in the 1980’s.

Hallmark Hall of Fame produced the movie, which is based on a book written by Mike Kersjes, a coach from Michigan who brought the first special needs group of students to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.